I missed the first set of the Madrid final. I started watching at the start of the second. It looked for a moment there that Stan was going to mount a comeback, but he couldn't maintain it. I turned off when, if my memory serves, Nadal was 4-3 up. The writing was on the wall, and I just wasn't in the mood for all the schmoozing from the comms. It's rapidly becoming boring. Rafa's been back five minutes and I've remembered why he gets on my nerves most of the time. I'd rather have Djokovic any day, and I've wanted to thump him a lot lately. For my money Andy is the only one of the four who has his feet on the ground.

I have to be honest, I think Stan stood only just fractionally more chance today than Andujar did yesterday. Stan looked shattered when I put the TV on, but given everything, what he did in Portugal, the late nights etc, he's done well to get to the final. Doing well this week gets him back into the top ten too, so a good week for him really. It is a pity that version of Stan didn't turn up in MC, but never mind. I honestly can't begrudge Stan what he's done this week. Nadal on the other hand.......

No, seriously, Nadal is brilliant on the clay, we all know that, but this whole thing around him, the 'ooh, he's been out for seven months and he's doing so well, he'll be challenging for world no.1 later in the year!' not to mention 'ooh, he's hit a forehand, how incredible!' gets right up my nose. If there was some honesty, some acknowledgement that when the knee was better he spent time working on his game, I'd be fine with it. Instead, it was suggested for ages that Nadal couldn't practice for ages because of the problem, not to mention the three different problems he was supposed to have with the knee, depending on what his team decided to call it that particular week. Frankly, with all due respect, it is crap. Anyone with a pair of eyes and a basic understanding of the game can see that Nadal has spent time working on his game. No one spends seven months out, having barely practised, and then comes back playing like that, even on their best surface, and I don't care how good they are.

I missed the first set of the Madrid final. I started watching at the start of the second. It looked for a moment there that Stan was going to mount a comeback, but he couldn't maintain it. I turned off when, if my memory serves, Nadal was 4-3 up. The writing was on the wall, and I just wasn't in the mood for all the schmoozing from the comms. It's rapidly becoming boring. Rafa's been back five minutes and I've remembered why he gets on my nerves most of the time. I'd rather have Djokovic any day, and I've wanted to thump him a lot lately. For my money Andy is the only one of the four who has his feet on the ground.

I have to be honest, I think Stan stood only just fractionally more chance today than Andujar did yesterday. Stan looked shattered when I put the TV on, but given everything, what he did in Portugal, the late nights etc, he's done well to get to the final. Doing well this week gets him back into the top ten too, so a good week for him really. It is a pity that version of Stan didn't turn up in MC, but never mind. I honestly can't begrudge Stan what he's done this week. Nadal on the other hand.......

No, seriously, Nadal is brilliant on the clay, we all know that, but this whole thing around him, the 'ooh, he's been out for seven months and he's doing so well, he'll be challenging for world no.1 later in the year!' not to mention 'ooh, he's hit a forehand, how incredible!' gets right up my nose. If there was some honesty, some acknowledgement that when the knee was better he spent time working on his game, I'd be fine with it. Instead, it was suggested for ages that Nadal couldn't practice for ages because of the problem, not to mention the three different problems he was supposed to have with the knee, depending on what his team decided to call it that particular week. Frankly, with all due respect, it is crap. Anyone with a pair of eyes and a basic understanding of the game can see that Nadal has spent time working on his game. No one spends seven months out, having barely practised, and then comes back playing like that, even on their best surface, and I don't care how good they are.

It was a snoozefest for me. I turned it off after Stan got broken. He was all spent by the time he reached the final so can't really blame him for a rather poor final. Still congrats to him for playing very well lately.

I feel Nadal is a bit of a fraud. You do not know when he is telling the truth there seems to be too much going on that we don't know about. Perhaps if he was more open about things. We will just have to wait and see what he will be like when the clay season is finished.

I did watch the match and felt that consideriong how tired Stan must have been he put up a fight. I have felt all along that the tournament was scheduled to totally suit Nadal. No night matches and plenty time in between matches.

I missed the first set of the Madrid final. I started watching at the start of the second. It looked for a moment there that Stan was going to mount a comeback, but he couldn't maintain it. I turned off when, if my memory serves, Nadal was 4-3 up. The writing was on the wall, and I just wasn't in the mood for all the schmoozing from the comms. It's rapidly becoming boring. Rafa's been back five minutes and I've remembered why he gets on my nerves most of the time. I'd rather have Djokovic any day, and I've wanted to thump him a lot lately. For my money Andy is the only one of the four who has his feet on the ground.

I have to be honest, I think Stan stood only just fractionally more chance today than Andujar did yesterday. Stan looked shattered when I put the TV on, but given everything, what he did in Portugal, the late nights etc, he's done well to get to the final. Doing well this week gets him back into the top ten too, so a good week for him really. It is a pity that version of Stan didn't turn up in MC, but never mind. I honestly can't begrudge Stan what he's done this week. Nadal on the other hand.......

No, seriously, Nadal is brilliant on the clay, we all know that, but this whole thing around him, the 'ooh, he's been out for seven months and he's doing so well, he'll be challenging for world no.1 later in the year!' not to mention 'ooh, he's hit a forehand, how incredible!' gets right up my nose. If there was some honesty, some acknowledgement that when the knee was better he spent time working on his game, I'd be fine with it. Instead, it was suggested for ages that Nadal couldn't practice for ages because of the problem, not to mention the three different problems he was supposed to have with the knee, depending on what his team decided to call it that particular week. Frankly, with all due respect, it is crap. Anyone with a pair of eyes and a basic understanding of the game can see that Nadal has spent time working on his game. No one spends seven months out, having barely practised, and then comes back playing like that, even on their best surface, and I don't care how good they are.

I don't think i give Nadal enough credit for how wonderful he is, let face it he really is a phenomenal player.

But he has been relatively fit for a while I think, there were rumors initailly he could have played WTF in Novemeber, so I definitely think he could of played AO but avoided it as he didn't feel ready mentally to come back on HC, so spent like 2-3 month just working on his game to prepare for clay season and RG. Rafa is desperate for RG this year, i genuinely think its a massive turning point in the season, if Rafa gets it than oh boy i fear for Andy and Novak.

Well done Rafa for sure but the real test will come after Wimby. No ranking points to defend but it's Hard courts all the way until after the Oz Open i.e. 7 long months. Ouch, I can feel my knees hurting at the mere thought of it!